A refrigerator is an apparatus for storing foods at a low temperature and is for the frozen storage and refrigeration storage of foods according to the state of foods to be stored.
Cold air supplied to the inside of the refrigerator is generated by means of a heat exchanging action of refrigerant and is continuously supplied to the refrigerator by repeatedly performing a compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation cycle. The supplied refrigerant is uniformly transferred to the inside of the refrigerator by means of convection so that foods can be stored in the refrigerator at a desired temperature. Such a refrigerator shows a tendency to be bigger and multi-functional and takes various forms according to a form of a storage space.
Various foods to be stored in the refrigerating or freezing state are properly stored in a shelf, a drawer, a basket, or the like provided in the inside of the refrigerator. The drawer, shelf, basket, or the like partitions the inside of the refrigerator so that they can store foods with various sizes and storage conditions.
Meanwhile, the mount position of the shelf partitioning the inside of the refrigerator is changed so that the space form of the inside of the refrigerator can be changed. As a result, a user can form a proper space by adjusting the mount position of the shelf so as to receive foods with various sizes or a food container. The representative mount structure of such a shelf is a structure that forms molded ends on left and right wall surfaces of the inside of the refrigerator and places the shelf thereon. However, in such a structure, since the shelf can be mounted only on the position where the molded end is formed, there is any limitation in mounting the shelf as well as manufacturing cost is increased and the aesthetic sense of a design is degraded, due to the formation of many molded ends.
Meanwhile, as another mount structure of the shelf, there is a structure that mounts the shelf in a form such as a cantilever by mounting guide with a plurality of holes on a rear wall surface of the inside of the refrigerator and coupling the shelf with a coupling part in a ring shape with the holes of the guide.
However, even in such a structure, the shelf should be completely separated and then assembled again in order to change the mount position of the shelf. To this end, the user puts down all foods on the shelf and the assembles the shelf at a new position. Thereafter, the user puts all foods on the shelf again. Also, each time that the user mounts the shelf, he/she should properly balance its horizon, etc. Therefore, considerable inconvenience is caused in mounting the shelf.
In order to solve the problems, U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,821 discloses the shelf structure capable of adjusting the up and down elevations of the shelfs engaged by means of a gear coupling by turning a handle or a lever mounted to the shelf.
However, in such a conventional technology, since the handle should be continuously turned in order to adjust the elevation of the shelf, when the movement distance of the shelf is distant, the handle should be turned for a long time, causing the inconvenience of use. Further, when foods put on the shelf, the problems such as consuming more time and energy, etc., in operating the handle in order to move the shelf up due to their weight are caused. Also, since the components in a gear shape or a sprocket shape perform a relative movement, considerable noise is caused and when foods put on the shelf, the loud noise is caused so that sensibility dissatisfaction of a user is caused. Also, since its structure is complicated, it is difficult to separate and mount the shelf.